


Feline Intelligence

by Morgana_avalon



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 21:26:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18396662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgana_avalon/pseuds/Morgana_avalon
Summary: Glorfindel finds a cat in his rooms and is in for a big surprise.





	Feline Intelligence

Feline Intelligence

 

Glorfindel woke to purring one morning after having fallen asleep with the sheet pulled over his head. The purring sound made him frown since he distinctly recalled having gone to sleep alone as he had for the last few years since he had arrived in Imladris. But apparently something had changed.

 

He pushed the sheet down and peered out from beneath the safety of the covers. The last thing he expected to see was a sleek, black cat lying next to him on the mattress. Large blue eyes stared curiously at him as the whiskers moved when the cat took in his scent.

 

“You must have mistaken my bed for that of your master’s,” Glorfindel whispered. He studied the cat in turn and smiled when it used a paw to push away a strand of his hair when it spilled onto the cat’s side of the bed. “Territorial, aren’t we?”

 

The cat gazed at Glorfindel condescendingly and then started to wash itself. Glorfindel elbowed himself into a comfortable position and watched how the cat wet its paw and used it to wash behind its ears. “This is my bed, you know, and I do not remember inviting you.”

 

His feline visitor kept a close eye on Glorfindel as it continued to clean itself. Glorfindel listened to the sound of the rough tongue moving over the black fur and found himself oddly fascinated with the whole procedure. Although Glorfindel kept no pets, animals like cats and birds often roamed the family wing, seeming to be most comfortable there. “Maybe you mistook my bed for that of the twins?” Elladan and Elrohir often brought injured animals home and always nursed them back to health. The Elflings had definitely inherited Elrond’s healing power. “Do you plan on staying then?”

 

The cat had finally stopped cleaning and buried its claws into the mattress as it stretched before grabbing a hold of the sheet. The sight of all that devastation made Glorfindel cringe. “I wanted to use that sheet a little longer, you know and now you ruined it.” The cat wasn’t impressed however and the long tail twitched restlessly, which warned Glorfindel to shift away. He swung his feet to the floor and raised his arms to stretch. “You had better be gone when I return tonight,” he said and turned to look at the cat. The eyes had closed and the feline was purring again. Glorfindel shook his head, rose from the bed, and headed into the bathroom.

 

“Why me?” he questioned softly. “Why could you not have snuck into Elrond’s bed? Or Lindir’s? Why mine?”

 

~~~

 

The cat had no intention of leaving Glorfindel’s bed, which was soft and comfortable. It had been searching for a nice place to stay and these rooms would do nicely. It would only be a matter of time before the Elf would learn to share his bed.

 

~~~

 

Glorfindel didn’t know if he should feel frustrated or amused when he returned to his rooms that evening. He had expected the cat to be gone, but when he entered his bedroom, he found that the feline was still stretched out on the bed. To make things even worse, it had dragged some of his leather hair bands over to the bed, leaving a trail to the bed and all over the bed. Glorfindel placed his hands on his hips and stared at the cat, which was looking quite at home in his rooms. “I told you to be gone.”

 

The cat lifted a paw and batted lazily at a couple of the bands. It swatted them around the bed, all the while keeping an eye on Glorfindel. Did the Elf really think he would listen? Cats never listened. They did as they pleased.

 

“You are determined to make a mess,” Glorfindel noted and moved over to the bed. He reached for the cat and prayed it didn’t bite or scratch him and was surprised when the cat pushed itself to its feet and leaned into the touch, dragging its head along Glorfindel’s palm. The purring started again and Glorfindel smiled. He picked the cat up and settled it against his chest with an arm beneath the feline for support. “You are also determined to stay,” Glorfindel remarked in amusement. Maybe having a cat in his rooms wasn’t such a bad idea. It would be nice to have someone to come home to. “But no more destroying my belongings, do you hear me? I will let you keep those,” he said as he pointed at the leather bands. “But the rest of my things are off limits.”

 

The cat gave him a look that said, ‘I will play with whatever item I fancy playing with. Just try stopping me.’ Glorfindel shook his head at that. “Something tells me that you are quite a stubborn cat.” Glorfindel let the cat slide back onto the bed and watched as the feline walked back toward him. It started to mew pitifully and licked his fingers. “You must be hungry…and thirsty. I never took care of a cat before. What do you eat?” Deep lines appeared on his brow as he considered the question. Some of the cats he had seen throughout the years had been fond of milk.

 

“I can not take you to the kitchen. The cook would throw us both out.” He had just eaten dinner so he couldn’t return to the Hall of Fire either. Everything had been cleaned off. He had to head for the kitchen then after all. “But you are staying here, do you hear me?”

 

The cat lay down again and placed its head on its front legs. The Elf had better hurry and bring him some food.

 

~~~

 

“Mission accomplished,” Glorfindel murmured as he brought home his trophies. He still didn’t know for sure if he had brought home things the cat would eat, but he had done his best. He poured milk into a bowl and placed it on the floor. Next to it, he placed a small plate which contained some left over salmon from dinner. “I hope that this is all right, your majesty,” he whispered jokingly as the cat approached the food regally.

 

“I should give you a name.” The cat greedily lapped the milk and then took a bite out of the fish. Glorfindel grinned when it looked at him and blinked once. “Does that mean you approve, sire?”

 

The cat concentrated on eating the fish. It had been a while since such a delicacy had been placed in front of him. While the feline ate, Glorfindel moved into the bathroom and washed up. Dressed in a night shirt, he appeared moments later only to find that the cat had claimed the bed again. What was the best course of action? Should he show the cat its place or allow it to sleep on the bed? “You definitely need a name,” he muttered as he stretched out on his back. It had been a long and tiring day. The cat however had its own agenda and climbed on top of the Elf’s chest.

 

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow in amusement. “What? Are you going to use me as your bed now?” He didn’t remove the cat though. Lifting his hand, he patted the small head, which bobbed under his ministrations. “Does this mean I am stuck with you?”

 

The cat looked at the Elf haughtily. The Elf had better be pleased and honored that he had picked him! Since he had arrived in Imladris, he had visited the rooms of many Elves, but had never stayed long. Though, he had made one exception. Glorfindel was the second Elf that he felt comfortable with. He closed his eyes and started to purr again as Glorfindel stroked his fur firmly, which made him press his head against the Elf’s hand.

 

Glorfindel grinned. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of keeping a pet. As if sensing the Elf had come around, the tomcat curled up on Glorfindel’s chest and snuggled down. “Now there is a good idea.” Glorfindel had another exhausting day ahead of him and catching some sleep was definitely a good idea.

 

~~~

 

The next morning, Glorfindel had to hurry for, while he seldom woke up late, that morning he had. “I blame it on you,” he declared and pointed at the tomcat, which had buried itself in the sheet. Glorfindel quickly dressed and ran a hand through his hair while reaching for one of the leather bands so he could restrain the golden mane, but then cursed as he recalled that the tomcat had scattered them the other day. “Oh, that is just great.” He slammed the door behind him, but a smile surfaced on his face as he made his way down the corridor.

 

Glorfindel’s little tantrum left the tomcat unimpressed. The Elf would learn about true tantrums should Glorfindel ever provoke him.

 

~~~

 

That evening, Glorfindel peeked around the corner and searched for his pet. He had finally come up with a name for the tomcat. “Look what I brought you,” he said and placed a bowl with water, another with milk, and a small piece of meat on the floor. The cat raised himself and cocked his head before jumping from the bed. The Elf was well-trained in bringing him one delicacy after another.

 

Glorfindel seated himself on the floor and patted the feline’s body while it ate. “I will name you Taur. That name should fit you well.”

 

The tomcat had no objections to receiving a name as long as the Elf understood that he had no intention of obeying any orders Glorfindel might issue. He ate and drank his fill before pressing his body against Glorfindel’s legs to show his contentment. Glorfindel picked him up and carried him to the bed. Life was good as far as Taur was concerned.

 

~~~

 

During the next few days, tomcat and Elf became accustomed to sharing rooms and the bed. Taur seldom unsheathed his claws and Glorfindel did his best to humor his new roommate.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?” Glorfindel blinked. He had eaten fish the other night and Taur probably smelled traces of it on his breath. “You will receive some later,” Glorfindel promised. He was about rise from the bed when the tomcat pressed its nose against his, earning a chuckle. The gentle nudge had been an obvious show of affection as far as Glorfindel was concerned. Taur appreciated being well taken care of.

 

His large hands cradled the cat as he lifted Taur away from his chest. He let the tomcat dangle in the air for a moment and then pressed a kiss onto the small nose. “Now that is a proper kiss, Taur.” Taur licked his face and Glorfindel giggled softly. “Enough of that. I have to ready myself for training. I promise to bring you some fish in the evening.” He placed the cat back on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later, he appeared again, dressed and ready to join the guards. “Now behave, Taur and do not rip apart any of my shirts.” The tomcat had set its claws into one his favorite shirts the previous night. This time, Glorfindel had actually locked the closet, something he had never done before.

 

A last look at Taur showed that the cat had curled up on the pillow where his fair head had rested but a moment ago. The tomcat really led the perfect life as far as Glorfindel was concerned.

 

~~~

 

Glorfindel was already late when he appeared in the Hall of Fire to join in the celebration for the twins’ Begetting Day. Training had taken longer than he had thought and then a patrol had returned late, bringing him worrisome information. Orcs had been sighted at Imladris’ borders and that news had required action on his part. He had sent another patrol of more experienced and heavily armed guards. Glorfindel wasn’t taking any chances.

 

The first thing he noticed was the twins, who were surrounded by new toys which had been gifted to them on this special day. Celebrían stood close to them overseeing their play so they wouldn’t argue about who was to play with a certain toy first. Elrond sat at the head of the main table and was making conversation with Lindir and Melpomaen. The minstrel and librarian were happy to distract Elrond, who was occasionally glancing at his Seneschal, Erestor, in displeasure.

 

Erestor was sulking for some reason. Glorfindel could tell that much by the sour expression on the Advisor’s face. When Glorfindel had first appeared in Imladris, he had felt like a stranger and an intruder, but all of the Elves – including Erestor – had done their best to make him feel at home. He still felt grateful that they had reached out to him. That was also why it vexed him to see Erestor distracted. Was it just his imagination or was there a hint of sadness in those brown eyes?

 

Glorfindel made his way over to the main table and took his seat in-between Elrond and Erestor. “Please forgive my tardiness,” he addressed Elrond. “But there were problems.”

 

“And you took care of them?” Elrond had already heard about the Orc sightings.

 

Glorfindel nodded once. “That is why I am late.”

 

“Then you are excused. Our safety must come first.” Contented that Glorfindel had joined them at last, Elrond focused once more on encouraging his sons when they picked out a gift to unwrap.

 

Glorfindel’s attention however was drawn to Erestor instead of toward the twins. Looking at the other Elf, he frowned. Erestor looked worried. The normally alert eyes were hazy as the fingernails scratched at the wood of the chair. “What is amiss, my friend?” he asked as he leaned in closer so only Erestor could hear him.

 

Glorfindel’s question shook Erestor from his musings. He hadn’t even noticed that the blond Elf had made his appearance. “Good evening, Glorfindel. I must have been lost in thought, hence why I did not welcome you.”

 

The blond Elf raised a hand and waved Erestor’s words away. “You probably have a good reason to be this distracted. Does something worry you?” He noticed the way Erestor shifted on the chair. The other Elf clearly felt uncomfortable and he wondered why.

 

“It is something personal,” Erestor replied and studied Glorfindel’s face. The blond Elf was an accomplished tracker. Maybe the warrior could help him?

 

“If there is anything I can do to help, please say so.” Glorfindel inclined his head to show that he was at the other Elf’s disposal if Erestor chose to accept his offer.

 

“Maybe,” Erestor murmured, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of telling Glorfindel.

 

“Please do not hesitate to ask for my help. I give it gladly,” Glorfindel offered earnestly. He had liked Erestor from the start and would like to deepen their friendship.

 

“I lost something,” Erestor said eventually. He sought out Glorfindel’s gaze and shrugged. “And I can not find it.”

 

Glorfindel moved his chair closer to Erestor’s. “What is it? Maybe I can track it down?”

 

“It is silly really,” Erestor whispered and started to grow flustered.

 

“Go on.” Glorfindel nodded. Erestor was making him curious.

 

“I used to have a pet...a black cat.” Erestor wrung his hands, hoping Glorfindel wouldn’t laugh at him. It wasn’t unusual for their kind to keep pets, but Morn had gained a place in his heart. It had been nice to know that the cat had been waiting for him in his rooms.

 

Glorfindel blinked and realized at once where this was headed. “When did he disappear?”

 

“A few days ago. I was careless and did not lock the door.” Erestor looked guilty. “I did not think that he would want to leave. I pampered him.” It must have happened by accident. Morn would never desert him, Erestor was convinced of that.

 

The blond Elf knew he had to tell the truth. No matter how much he had enjoyed the tomcat’s company, he couldn’t stand seeing Erestor suffer. “I do not need to track the cat down. Your pet is in my rooms. He appeared there about a week ago and I have been taking care of him ever since. I named him Taur. I did not know he belonged to you.” Some of his disappointment must have been visible on his face for Erestor suddenly placed a hand on his wrist.

 

“He is easy to become used to, is he not?” Erestor understood.

 

Smiling weakly, Glorfindel nodded. “Knowing that my rooms would not be empty upon my return was a comforting thought.”

 

“I feel the same way. That is why I miss Morn sorely.” He was relieved to hear that Morn had made himself a new home in Glorfindel’s rooms, but at the same time he felt miserable. If he left Morn in Glorfindel’s care, he would miss his pet’s company, but if he took Morn back to his rooms, he would rob Glorfindel of his companionship. “We should check on him. Maybe it is a different cat.”

 

Glorfindel nodded, but he didn’t believe such coincidence existed. He turned to Elrond and excused himself. Elrond nodded distractedly as he watched Elladan attack his twin with a wooden sword. “Follow me to my rooms then,” Glorfindel suggested and rose from his chair. Erestor followed a moment later and they left the Hall of Fire in search of the elusive cat.

 

~~~

 

Glorfindel opened the door and stepped aside to let Erestor enter, who inclined his head and stepped inside. The warrior’s rooms were spacious with oil lamps lit to illuminate the bedroom area. Sprawled on top of the sheet was Morn. Erestor folded his arms in front of his chest and tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. “There you are, you runaway!”

 

Morn lazily raised his head at the well-known voice. It was about time Erestor had found him!

 

“It is him,” Glorfindel confirmed, feeling disappointed that he would lose his roommate.

 

“Oh yes, it is.” Erestor stalked toward the bed and picked up the tomcat. Bringing it level with his face, he glared at the runaway. “What were you thinking leaving my rooms like that?”

 

Glorfindel grinned. At least he wasn’t the only person who talked to animals. Erestor had developed the same habit.

 

Trying to appease the dark-haired Elf, Morn pressed his snout against Erestor’s face and licked the nose. Erestor wasn’t pleased however and placed the tomcat back onto Glorfindel’s bed. Turning around, he looked at Glorfindel and said, “I would like to apologize for any discomfort Morn caused you.”

 

“No discomfort,” Glorfindel replied and smiled reassuringly.

 

Erestor noticed the water and milk bowl, the scattered leather bands, and the shirt that Morn had ripped apart to use for another nest in the corner of the room. It was obvious that Glorfindel had tried to make Morn feel at home and he felt guilty for taking the tomcat away from the warrior. “We seem to have a dilemma,” he stated eventually. “You like having Morn here and I want him back in my rooms as well.”

 

“He is your pet,” Glorfindel retorted. “You take him.”

 

“But he chose to live in your rooms. He left mine.” What a horrible dilemma! Erestor, the wise Advisor, didn’t know how to solve this problem.

 

“Maybe we should let the cat decide?” Glorfindel offered. But doing that would also bring heart ache. One Elf would always end up hurt and lonely. “No, you take him.” He made his way over to the bed and took Morn into his arms. He then walked over to Erestor to hand the tomcat to the other Elf, but Morn had different ideas as sharp claws buried themselves in the fabric of his shirt. “Let go!”

 

Erestor sighed deeply. “He wants to stay with you.”

 

“Let go!” Glorfindel was growing frustrated. “No, you can not stay with me!” But Morn wasn’t going to give up just yet and hissed.

 

The dark-haired Elf raised a placating hand. “Let him be, Glorfindel. If he wants to stay, he can.”

 

“But what about you?” Glorfindel was suffering from a guilty conscience. It was only a cat, but even a cat’s presence could offer comfort and friendship in hours of loneliness. Suddenly, he perked up. “Why do you not stay in my rooms for the evening?”

 

Erestor blinked. What had Glorfindel just said?

 

“Please sit down, Erestor and make yourself comfortable.” Glorfindel pointed at the pair of chairs that stood near the fireplace. “We can talk, play chess, or read books!” Yes, he liked the idea of entertaining Erestor. Morn appeared to agree as he relaxed in the Elf's arms and retracted its claws.

 

Erestor’s first reaction was to reject the invitation, but once he started to think about it, he realized it made sense. There was no reason why they should be alone in their rooms when they could spend time together. “I accept.”

 

“Great!” Glorfindel waited until Erestor had seated himself before dropping Morn into the other Elf’s lap. Morn immediately made himself comfortable and purred.

 

Erestor smiled and patted the head, resulting in even louder purring. “Did you miss me?” Morn started to knead the Elf’s abdomen with his front paws in reply. “I will take that as a yes,” Erestor whispered, smiling happily.

 

Glorfindel returned with two goblets filled with wine and placed them on the side table that stood next to the fireplace. “Would you care for a game of chess?” he asked while seating himself.

 

“Would you mind if I took a moment to get reacquainted with Morn?”

 

Glorfindel shook his head and was content to watch Erestor pet the tomcat. A tender and adoring expression lay on the Advisor’s face and Glorfindel studied his guest in more detail. Erestor’s fingers were long and agile as they moved with grace over the black fur and the chocolate brown eyes were twinkling with happiness. The way he stroked Morn’s fur even made Glorfindel feel a bit envious of all the attention the tomcat was receiving. “How did you come by him?” he asked to break the silence which had started to feel uncomfortable to him.

 

“He was just there one morning. I woke up and he was pressing his nose against my face. I tried finding out if someone was missing their cat, but no one was and I decided to keep him.” Erestor raised his gaze and smiled at Glorfindel. “He has been my companion for six years now.”

 

Glorfindel whistled through his teeth and Morn looked up in interest at the sound before rising in preparation to leap. Glorfindel wasn’t prepared for the landing and stared at the tomcat in genuine surprise. That was the most active he had seen the feline!

 

“He does enjoy surprising you,” Erestor commented and smiled. “He did not wake you that way yet? Jumping onto your belly in the morn?”

 

Glorfindel shook his head. “Thankfully, no.” Morn raised his head and was staring at his lips. “I think he wants me to whistle again.”

 

“Then indulge him. Trust me...you do not want to ruffle his fur.” Erestor grinned at his own word play.

 

The blond Elf whistled again and Morn's ears twitched in confusion and searching. Shifting about on Glorfindel’s lap, he hit a sensitive area with one of his feet. “Ouch,” Glorfindel muttered and stopped whistling. “Be careful, will you?” He picked Morn up and placed him on the floor. “Go eat something or play with what is left of my shirt.”

 

Morn raised his head and walked away, clearly looking insulted.

 

“That cat has a mind of his own,” Erestor murmured and smiled brightly. He liked that quality in Morn.

 

“Most cats do.” Glorfindel reached for his goblet and sipped. Since he had Erestor in his rooms all to himself, what was he supposed to do?

 

Fortunately for Glorfindel, Erestor was a skilled diplomat and took charge. “I am grateful that you looked after Morn. He has a bad attitude.”

 

Glorfindel laughed. “It is not that bad. I like having him in my rooms.” Glorfindel sobered before feeling safe enough to add, “It can be lonely, you know.”

 

Erestor nodded in sympathy. “I know what you mean. That is why I am so grateful that Morn is always there to greet me. I would not know how to pass the evening without him. Since the twins were born, Elrond spends most of his time with his family, which is perfectly understandable, but I do miss his company. Elrond and I used to do this...sit like this, drink a glass of wine, and discuss the day’s events.” A cat was a poor excuse for Elven companionship, but Erestor had accepted his lot in life. “And I do not like to dwell in the main Hall that long. It is too crowded.” He was opening up to Glorfindel for a reason. They were both lonely and it had occurred to Erestor that they could make their evenings more enjoyable if they deepened their friendship. “I would like doing this again.”

 

Glorfindel agreed. He drank the last bit of his wine and refilled Erestor’s glass along with his own. “Maybe we could do this every evening? That is, when I am not away on patrol?”

 

“I would like that very much.” Erestor leaned back into the comfort of the chair and watched Morn settle down on Glorfindel’s lap. /We made a new friend, Morn,/ he thought and silently thanked the feline.

 

~~~

 

During the next week, Erestor visited Glorfindel’s room in the evening. Since Morn had decided to take up residence in Glorfindel’s bedroom, Erestor had the perfect excuse to seek out the warrior. Their evenings were filled with pleasant chatter, games of chess, and the other night Glorfindel had even sung. Every evening, Erestor’s pace quickened a little more when he was on his way over to Glorfindel’s quarters. He actually looked forward to spending the evening with Glorfindel.

 

For Glorfindel it was the same where Erestor was concerned. Morn watched the two Elves deepen their relationship with approval. After all, the main reason why he had sought out Glorfindel’s rooms had been to play matchmaker.

 

~~~

 

“You have an excellent voice,” Erestor complimented and grew flustered, though the reason why eluded him. Glorfindel and he were sitting in front of a blazing fireplace and Morn was on the bed, sleeping contentedly. “I can not sing even if my life depended upon it.” He had tried singing when he was younger, but had only managed to chase off his audience.

 

“I am sure you have other talents,” Glorfindel replied and grinned at Erestor from over the rim of his goblet. During the last week, he had *really* noticed how attractive the other Elf was. Erestor was desirable in body and mind. But before he could entertain any thoughts of courting Erestor, he had to ask the other Elf certain questions. He felt nervous though. “Erestor, may I ask you something personal?”

 

Erestor felt comfortable enough to nod. He trusted Glorfindel and felt at ease. “What do you want to know?” He swirled the white wine around in his goblet and smiled lazily. He had quickly – maybe too quickly – grown used to visiting with Glorfindel in the evenings, feeling at home with the other Elf. The attraction had always been there, but he had found it hard to admit that to himself.

 

“Is there an Elf you feel attracted to?” Glorfindel blurted out the question before he realized how direct it was. “I mean, are you courting anyone?”

 

Cocking his head, Erestor gazed at the other Elf thoughtfully. “Do you think I would visit with you every evening if I had someone waiting in my rooms?”

 

Glorfindel nodded. He had thought as much, but had needed to hear it. Why else would Erestor have missed Morn so badly?

 

“May I return the question?” Erestor was equally curious and maybe even a little hopeful.

 

The blond considered what his options and chances were where Erestor was concerned. Maybe it was time to take a risk. “I am not courting at the moment, but…there is an Elf I consider very attractive and I am scraping my courage together to tell him that.” He hoped that his eyes gave Erestor some additional information, namely that he was the Elf in question.

 

Erestor wasn’t Elrond’s Chief Advisor for nothing. He caught on and grinned mysteriously. “Would you feel more…confident…if you knew that said Elf finds you attractive in turn and would welcome being courted?”

 

Glorfindel moved a little closer. “That would help, yes.” He felt relieved that Erestor had caught on so quickly. “You would allow me to court you?”

 

Moving to the edge of his chair, Erestor smiled. Glorfindel extended his hands and Erestor gathered them in-between his own. “I would.”

 

Smiling goofily at each other, they sat there for a little while, just looking. They were being watched in turn though by Morn, who then just licked his paw and went back to sleep.

 

~~~

 

“I had a bit too much to drink,” Erestor declared and giggled uncontrollably. They had long abandoned their game of chess and had started to drink wine while chatting. Glorfindel had talked about his life in Gondolin and he had spoken of his childhood at Ereinion’s court. They were growing closer and both Elves liked having a companion. It was inevitable that one of them would try to take the next step. “I want to kiss you,” he whispered. He grew flustered as he looked at Glorfindel hopefully. “It must be the wine.”

 

“You can blame it on the wine if you want to,” Glorfindel replied, uncaring on why Erestor wanted to kiss him. What mattered was that the dark-haired Elf *desired* to do so. He moved his chair closer to Erestor’s and pursed his lips in anticipation.

 

More giggling followed and soon Glorfindel joined in. What he wanted the most was for Erestor to feel comfortable around him and a little giggling always did the trick. “Now?” he asked once they had regained their composure. He had also drunk too much wine.

 

Erestor slid his hand into the golden hair and cupped the back of Glorfindel’s head. He touched his lips to Glorfindel's in what was to be an innocent kiss, but Glorfindel changed that when the warrior’s tongue got involved as well. It was a playful kiss that ended with more giggling. “You taste good,” Erestor murmured against Glorfindel’s lips. He rested his brow against the other Elf’s and looked into the blue eyes. “I do not want to return to my empty rooms tonight. Can we do something about that?”

 

Glorfindel gravely nodded his head. “I believe so. You see, I have a rather large and comfortable bed and you are welcome to share it with me.” Glorfindel knew Erestor would read his offer the right way. This was no invitation to become intimate – not yet anyway. He didn’t move *that* fast and he surmised that Erestor was an Elf who appreciated being properly courted.

 

“Is it big enough to hold three?” Erestor’s fingers massaged the nape of Glorfindel’s neck and stared longingly at the other Elf.

 

“Three?” Glorfindel frowned. He hadn’t drunk enough yet for him to see double! “Why three?”

 

Erestor raised his arm and pointed at the feline who was watching them from the bed. “Three.”

 

Glorfindel laughed. “I believe we will manage.” He rose from the chair and was rather unsteady on his feet. He bowed and then looked up with a grin on his face. “May I escort you to the bed, my dear? I do not want you to become lost.” He held out his hand and Erestor placed his hand into it after he had risen from his chair. “I do hope Morn will share the bed with us.”

 

“He will, else we will throw him out.” Erestor followed Glorfindel over to the bed and curled his fingers tightly around the blond Elf’s hand. His heart was beating quickly as his head spun. This would be the first night in centuries that he wouldn’t sleep alone.

 

Morn made way for the two Elves and snuggled up at the foot of the bed. He had no interest in sabotaging their liaison.

 

Erestor lay down first and then shifted so Glorfindel could stretch out next to him. The blond Elf had spoken the truth: the bed was comfortable, the mattress was soft, and the silk sheet felt seductive against his skin. Erestor opened his arms and Glorfindel snuggled up to him. Looking at the blond Elf, Erestor’s breath caught. Glorfindel had never been so close before. “You know, if Morn had not escaped my rooms, this might not have happened.”

 

“We should be grateful he did so.” Glorfindel drew in a deep breath and cupped Erestor’s cheek in the palm of his hand. “Your eyes speak to me.”

 

Erestor grinned. “And what do they say?”

 

“They say...kiss me.”

 

“Then you must do as they bid.” Erestor closed his eyes and sighed the moment that Glorfindel’s lips descended onto his. He surrendered to the kiss and opened his eyes again when Glorfindel moved until his arms circled Erestor's waist. The dark-haired Elf rested his head in the crook of Glorfindel’s shoulder and snuggled closer. “Wake me in the morning, Glorfindel. I can not be late. Elrond knows something is going on and I do not want him to find out yet. You know what he is like.”

 

“He would tease the both of us mercilessly. I agree. It is best that Elrond does not know yet.” Holding Erestor in his arms felt wonderful and Glorfindel listened to Erestor’s breathing as it became slower and deeper, a sure sign that the dark-haired Elf had dozed off.

 

Glorfindel peered down at the foot of the bed when he sensed movement there. It was Morn, looking at him smugly. “Do not tell me you planned this. You are not *that* smart. You are just a cat.”

 

Morn just looked at him. Dumb Elves. They didn’t know a thing about cats! He hopped off of the bed and made himself comfortable in his new nest, which consisted of Glorfindel’s tattered shirt and one of Erestor’s socks. Erestor had made the mistake one evening of removing his house shoes and socks and he had taken possession of it. Erestor had tried to reclaim it before Glorfindel had also attempted a rescue, but Morn had defended his treasure.

 

Glorfindel was too tired to worry about Morn’s intentions where the two of them were concerned as he tightened his embrace on Erestor and followed the dark-haired Elf into sleep.

 

The cat stretched lazily. He had made his home in Glorfindel’s rooms and it was only a matter of time before Erestor would move in as well. His plan had worked out perfectly. Pleased, Morn purred as he closed his eyes and dreamt of milk, nicely presented fish, and two Elves pampering him instead of just one.

 

The end


End file.
